Heatsink with improved heat dissipation capability

ABSTRACT

A tandem heat sink operable to provide heat dissipation to one or more electronic components. The tandem heat sink apparatus creates air turbulence within the air stream across the one or more components through the use of pins oriented at more than one angle with respect to the base of the tandem heat sink. An airflow across one or more electronic components is disrupted by the geometry of the different pin angles of the tandem heat sink, thereby creating turbulence which increases the efficiency of the heat sink and prevents thermal shading from occurring. When the heat sink is placed on a single component, the heat sink may be situated without any overhang relative to the component due to the turbulence induced by the different pin angles and the resulting increase in heat dissipation efficiency.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] This invention relates generally to the field of electronicdevices and systems, and more specifically to heat dissipation inelectronic devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The ability of an electronic device to stay within a specifiedtemperature region is directly related to the reliability andperformance of the electronic device. Many electronic devices havestrict temperature requirements for correct operation, and performanceand lifetime are very sensitive to operation outside these temperaturerequirements. When an electronic component within a system overheats,often the entire electronic system is affected. There are manytechniques available to help dissipate heat around an electroniccomponent. Heat sinks are commonly employed in electronic systems wherespace is limited. Referring to FIG. 1, a simplified side view of a heatsink 100 is shown according to the prior art. Heat sink 100 is coupledto an electronic component 140 through the use of a heat sink/componentinterface 130. The interface 130 allows for a tight coupling between theheat sink 100 and the electronic component 140. The interface 130 isalso coupled to a heat sink base 120. The heat sink base 120 acts as theprimary conduction path for heat generated by electronic component 140.Heat sink base is coupled to a plethora of heat sink pins 110. The heatsink pins 110 provide several functions, including dissipation of heatgenerated by electronic component 140 and the creation of turbulence inthe air flowing over the heat sink pins 110.

[0003] Pinned heat sinks are useful when applied in a staggered fashionwhere each device or component is in a different part of the airflowstream. However, when several heat sinks are placed in a line, forming atrough-shaped array, the airflow over the heat sinks tends to be uniformand the heat sinks ability to create turbulence is reduced. Thepropensity of the heat sinks to create thermal turbulence is critical,because turbulent airflow increases the efficiency of the heat sinks andeffectively increases the heat dissipated around an electroniccomponent. However, staggering of the heat sinks is not always apossibility due to electrical wiring lengths that have to be consistent.Moreover, orienting a heat sink in a staggered fashion may require thatthe heat sink hang over the edge of the component. This may not alwaysbe possible due to the geometry of the region surrounding the component.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention discloses a structure for the dissipationof heat in the area around one or more electronic devices or components.Heat dissipation is achieved by the use of one or more heat sinkscoupled to the one or more electronic components. The heat sinks containa plurality of pins, where the pins associated with a particular heatsink may not be vertical, but instead are at an elevation angle relativeto the base of the heat sink. The bases of the heat sinks may be rotatedwith respect to one another, where the rotation takes place in the planecontaining the base of a particular heat sink. The net effect of therotation of the bases of the heat sink and the elevation angle of thepins causes the flow of air across the surface of the pins to bedisrupted. The increase in turbulent air flow over the heat sinksincreases the efficiency of the heat sinks, providing a greater heatdissipation capability.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] The features of the invention believed to be novel are set forthwith particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself however,both as to organization and method of operation, together with objectsand advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference to thefollowing detailed description of the invention, which describes certainexemplary embodiments of the invention, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings in which:

[0006]FIG. 1 is a side view of a heat sink, according to the prior art.

[0007]FIG. 2 is a structural diagram of several exemplary heat sinks,according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0008]FIG. 3 is a top view of an exemplary pin arrangement of anexemplary heat sink, according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

[0009]FIG. 4 is a top view of an exemplary heat sink with pins at morethan one angle, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0010]FIG. 5 is a first side view of an exemplary heat sink with pins atmore than one angle, according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

[0011]FIG. 6 is a second side view of an exemplary heat sink with pinsat more than one angle, according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in manydifferent forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein bedescribed in detail specific embodiments, with the understanding thatthe present disclosure is to be considered as an example of theprinciples of the invention and not intended to limit the invention tothe specific embodiments shown and described. In the description below,like reference numerals are used to describe the same, similar orcorresponding parts in the several views of the drawings.

[0013] Referring now to FIG. 2, a structural diagram 200 of severalexemplary heat sinks are shown, according to an embodiment of thepresent invention. Heat sinks 230, 240, 250, and 260 are coupled toprinted circuit board 210. It should be noted that one of skill in theart will recognize that heat sinks 230, 240, 250, 260 could be coupledto individual electronic components without departing from the spiritand scope of the present invention. Bases 233, 243, 253, 263 of heatsinks 230, 240, 250, 260 are further coupled to corresponding pins 235,245, 255, 265. Each grouping of pins 235, 245, 255, 265 form anelevation angle that is less than 90 degrees relative to bases 233, 243,253, 263 of corresponding heat sinks 230, 240, 250, 260. In a certainembodiment of the present invention this elevation angle is 72 degrees,measured from the base. In addition to the elevation angle of pins 235,245, 255, 265, the bases 233, 243, 253, 263 of corresponding heat sinks230, 240, 250, 260 are oriented so that adjacent heat sinks differ by180 degrees. This orientation can be considered a rotation in the planeof the base of each heat sink. For example, heat sink 240 is rotated 0degrees, while heat sink 250 is rotated 180 degrees with respect to theplane containing the heat sinks. This rotation is measured with respectto a reference angle perpendicular to an edge of component 210.

[0014] The differing base orientation of heat sinks 230, 240, 250, 260in combination with the elevation angles of pins 235, 245, 255, 265cause airflow 220 to be disrupted as airflow passes over heat sinks 230,240, 250, 260. This increased turbulence of airflow 220 increases theheat dissipation capability of heat sinks 230, 240, 250, 260. It isnoted that although two different orientations are shown for the base ofheat sinks 230, 240, 250, 260, and a single elevation angle is shown forpins 235, 245, 255, 265, each heat sink could have a distinct amount ofrotation, and each collection of pins could have a distinct elevationangle. Additionally the arrangement of the heat sinks in FIG. 2 isexemplary and is not intended to restrict the scope of the presentinvention. Heat sinks 230, 240, 250, 260 could be located so that one ormore of heat sinks 230, 240, 250, 260 hang over an edge of a component,and one or more of heat sinks 230, 240, 250, 260 are not aligned withrespect to an edge of the one or more heat sinks heat sinks 230, 240,250, 260.

[0015] Referring now to FIG. 3 a top view of an exemplary pinarrangement 300 of the exemplary heat sink of FIG. 2 is shown, accordingto a certain embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 shows pins 255and 265 coupled to corresponding base 310 and base 320, respectively.Exemplary pin arrangement 300 illustrates that collection of pins 255has an elevation angle that is the same as an elevation angle ofcollection of pins 265 and base 310 has an orientation that is the sameas the orientation of base 320. It is noted that each collection of pinscould have more than one elevation angle without departing from thespirit and scope of the present invention. It is further noted that thepins comprising the collection of pins 255 could have different lengthswith respect to base 310.

[0016] Referring now to FIG. 4 a top view of an exemplary heat sink 400with pins at more than one angle is shown, according to a certainembodiment of the present invention. Heat sink 410 is shown coupled tocomponent 430 while an airflow path 420 is shown passing over heat sink410. Referring now to FIG. 5 a first side view 500 of exemplary heatsink 400 with pins at more than one angle is shown, according to acertain embodiment of the present invention. It is noted that collectionof pins 510 appear to have a distinct 90 degree elevation angle withrespect to base 520. However, referring now to FIG. 6 a second side view600 of exemplary heat sink 400 with pins at more than one angle isshown, according to a certain embodiment of the present invention. Thesecond side view 600 is 90 degrees rotated with respect to the firstside view 500, and illustrates that collection of pins 510 actuallycomprises a first subcollection of pins 610 with a first elevationangle, and a second subcollection of pins 620 with a second elevationangle. Thus the spirit and scope of the present invention encompass anembodiment in which a single heat sink contains a collection of pinswherein the pins comprising the collection may have more than oneelevation angle with respect to a base element.

[0017] In a certain embodiment of the present invention, more than oneheat sink is coupled to a single electronic component, and eachcollection of pins of each heat sink coupled to the electronic componenthas a single elevation angle, while each heat sink is oriented with 180degrees of rotation relative to an adjacent heat sink.

[0018] While the invention has been described in conjunction withspecific embodiments, it is evident that many alternatives,modifications, permutations and variations will become apparent to thoseof ordinary skill in the art in light of the foregoing description.Accordingly, it is intended that the present invention embrace all suchalternatives, modifications and variations as fall within the scope ofthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for the dissipation of heat,comprising: one or more base elements coupled to one or more electroniccomponents; one or more pluralities of pins coupled to the correspondingone or more base elements; the one or more pluralities of pins orientedat one or more corresponding elevation angles with respect to one ormore axes perpendicular to the one or more base elements; and each baseelement of the one or more base elements oriented at a rotation anglewith respect to a reference rotation angle of the corresponding baseelement.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more pins of aplurality of the one or more pluralities of pins are different lengths,said length being measured from a base element.
 3. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the collection of one or more points of contact betweenthe one or more axes and the corresponding one or more base elementslies on a straight line.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein thereference rotation angle is 0 degrees, measured so that each baseelement of the one or more base elements is parallel to a surface of theone or more electronic components.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, whereina specified rotation angle is defined as a clockwise rotation in theplane of a base element of the one or more base elements along aperpindicular axis passing through a centroid of said base element. 6.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein for the one or more correspondingelevation angles, a 90 degree elevation angle is defined asperpendicular to a base element of the one or more base elements and a 0degree angle is defined as parallel to the base element.
 7. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the heat sink is placed on the componentwith no overhang.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or moreelevation angles are one distinct elevation angle, and there are tworotation angles, said rotation angles differing by 180 degrees.
 9. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more components operate in aforced air condition.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an angle ofthe one or more angles is 72 degrees.
 11. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein one or more of the one or more base elements are coupled to asingle electronic component.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein theone or more elevation angles are one distinct elevation angle, and thereare two rotation angles, said rotation angles differing by 180 degrees.13. An apparatus for the dissipation of heat, comprising: one or moreheat sink elements, wherein each heat sink element further comprises: abase element coupled to an electronic component; a plurality of pinscoupled to the base element; the plurality of pins oriented at anelevation angle with respect to an axis perpendicular to the baseelements; and the base element oriented at a corresponding rotationangle with respect to a reference rotation angle of the base element.14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein for a heat sink element of theone or more heat sink elements, the plurality of pins are differentlengths, said length being measured from the base element of each heatsink element.
 15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or moreheat sink elements are located so that each point of attachment betweeneach vertical axis and the corresponding base elements lies on astraight line.
 16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein each referencerotation angle is 0 degrees, measured so that the base element isparallel to a surface of the electronic component.
 17. The apparatus ofclaim 13, wherein a specified rotation angle is defined as a clockwiserotation in the plane of the base element along a vertical axis passingthrough a centroid of said base element.
 18. The apparatus of claim 13,wherein a 90 degree elevation angle is defined as perpendicular to thebase element and a 0 degree angle is defined as parallel to the baseelement.
 19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein one or more of the oneor more heat sinks are placed on one or more corresponding componentswith no overhang.
 20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or moreheat sinks have one of two distinct rotation angles and the one or moreelevation angles corresponding to the one or more heat sink elements arethe same.
 21. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more heatsink elements operate in a forced air condition.
 22. The apparatus ofclaim 13, wherein for one or more of the one or more heat sink elementseach base element is coupled to the same electronic component.
 23. Theapparatus of claim 22, wherein the one or more heat sinks have one oftwo distinct rotation angles and the one or more elevation anglescorresponding to the one or more heat sink elements are the same. 24.The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the two distinct rotation anglesdiffer by 180 degrees.